Seattle Yogini

Stylish Cross-post

Today's post is on Style Trumps Fashion.  See how this petite woman incorporates boho-styled clothes without disappearing under the tent of fabric!

Pregnancy and Neck Pain

Today's post is on Prenatal Yogini, where I've offered some recommendations to alleviate neck and throat tension during pregnancy, and insight into why a relaxed throat is so important as labor draws near!

Studying and Making Don't Mix

This fall was not as craftily productive as I would have liked.  Given the time suck that is school, however, and considering the other things we were dealing with from September through December, I'm thankful to have found bits of time here and there to make things.

Regular readers, friends and family will know that I knit.  I knit a lot.  I often knit in public.  I can't knit at school, though, because I wouldn't be able to take notes.  So knitting is relegated to an opportunistic past-time for now.  Still, a few rows at a time can really add up:

I don't remember the specifics on these socks, except that I used the Yarn Harlot's Plain Vanilla Sock pattern.  The yarn can only be explained by the fact that sometimes we don't understand our choices, we just know what we want.  I saw the self-striping goodness of rainbow colors at the yarn store, knowing it would be perfect for a no-brainer knit, and that was that.  I must say that I am quite delighted with the gawdy goodness!  Oh, and they're kitty-approved, so they also have that in their favor.

Since the New Year I made Rob a pair of Dashing Mitts.  His thumb gets really stiff, achy, and turns a startling shade of purple when it gets cold.  Though he doesn't usually wear gloves or mittens, I made these for him so that at the very least he could wear them to walk the dog.  I altered the thumb to include a gusset, which took a few attempts to get just right for my yarn choice.  We're both quite satisfied with the results.  For you knitters, I'll post a full re-cap of my thumb gusset next week.  I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran.  The mitts are luscious:

Here's another photo, just because.  Though, while you're looking, check out that thumb gusset!  Woohoo!  Also, if you're curious, it was his left thumb that required surgery.  Doesn't it look great now?

I also made a cardigan, but there's no photo because I haven't sewn in the ends or put the button on it.  That is mainly because I'm a little afraid that it won't fit, but also because I don't actually have any idea what I'll wear it with.  I'm working on that.

Last, but not least, I made a pair of toast.  I think that they're going to be a gift, though, so I can't show the picture until they've been gifted.  Just click on the link.

Oh, and there's also this dress that I'm sort of working on, except that I'm still tweaking the bodice muslin.  I'm doing a "full bust adjustment", so I'll give it its own post later, when more progress has been made.

What are you making?

Comfort-Food Clothing

Today's post is on Style Trumps Fashion.  Find out what I like to wear when I'd rather just stay in my pajamas!

 

Tomorrow I'll post here, sharing my latest knitting FO and works-in-progress...if only in my dreams.

Inspiration

Today's post is on Style Trumps Fashion.  Check out one of my biggest style inspirations!

Standing Poses During Pregnancy

I posted on Prenatal Yogini today.  Learn how to take care of yourself (or your pregnant students) during a standing pose practice!

An Ode to Nonconformity

 

Some of my gals are having hard times right now.  This is a sure way to cheer up!

 

I listened to this song a lot when I was deployed to the war.  It was on the "Now That's What I Call Music" CD I got at the BX.  Listening to my headphones whenever I was off-duty and out of my room was an essential "I'm not a 'desert princess', so don't talk to me" strategy.  Anyway, I listened to this song at least once a day, imagining that they were singing it to me personally, and reminding myself that I was in the middle, and surely everything would be okay.

I had never seen the video until I went looking for it this morning.  I like that it's the inverse of the dream where you show up to school/work/party in your undies.  I also like that in the video, just when two people are feeling like they can't take sticking out anymore, and are about to conform, they have a "What the heck am I doing?" moment, pull their pants back up and leave. 

Hooray for nonconformity!

Watch out 2011, here I come!

What a whirlwind way to wrap up a year!  2010 went out with a sneeze...literally, but not until I'd finished finals, caught up on rest, and hosted family for a pre-Christmas Christmas visit.  Rob came down with what we think was the respiratory flu the day after Christmas, and I was sick by Thursday.  Not exactly the festive/feel good holiday season I always anticipate.  In fact, more than a few of my local friends agree with me that the holidays were rather lame this year.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but I suspect that exhaustion from the way our fall was, coupled with lame weather (not cold enough for fires) sealed it for us.

Now I'm back at school with two big science classes:  Anatomy & Physiology II and Microbiology.  A&P II focuses more on physiology this quarter, and is supposedly a bit easier in that there isn't as much pure memorization as last quarter (my head was so full of mnemonics!).  There is a lot more conceptual understanding of various processes required, though, so it depends on the learner.  I'm only one week in, so I don't have much to share about Micro yet.  Well, except that between the two classes my lab partner and I are already tired of looking into microscopes.  Ruh roh!

I changed my yoga teaching schedule!  I have taught a Wednesday 5:45 - 7:15 class at Purna Yoga Centers in Bellevue since I started teaching there in 2005.  Due to my school schedule, I changed it starting this quarter.  Now I teach prenatal yoga on Sundays from 1:30 - 3.  It's a great time slot for moms who already have a child at home and find it difficult to get away during the week.  It's also nice because it's after Sunday morning activities (pancake breakfast, church, etc.), but leaves plenty of time to enjoy the benefits of the class all afternoon and evening!  My friend and colleague, Zofia, has taken over the Wednesday class, so we now have two prenatal classes per week.  Yay!

I have a lot of hopes and dreams for this year, but as you may recall from last year I don't put a lot of emphasis on "resolutions".  I'll share some of my thoughts for 2011 later this week.

Happy New Year!

Arya